


Shaken up, Waken up

by KizuRai



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Martyr!Emma, S1, What if Scenario, awfully convenient plot earthquakes, prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-25 23:18:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12046365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KizuRai/pseuds/KizuRai
Summary: Regina loves her son, even if he does hate her, even if he does stupid things like run into the mines when there's earthquakes. No matter what, Regina will always try to save Henry.But what happens when they're both in trouble, both stuck in this damn cave?Emma also loves her son, even if he's a little shit sometimes, even if he can't see all the good he's had in his life, even if she can visibly see the pain he's causing his adopted mother each time he rejects her. Emma will always try to save Henry, and maybe, she will always try to save Regina too.





	Shaken up, Waken up

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt2  
> ^ that's literally what I named my doc because in case you haven't noticed, I'm not the most... innovative namer. I honestly just stared at the blank space for the title for 10 minutes trying to think of something.  
> I don't know how I'm going to continue this, or make it a happy ending for that matter because this is taking place in season 1. And season 1 they hated each other with one hell of a passion and to be perfectly honest I didn't see the SQ until season 3 lol So I'm not sure how I'm going to go about this but I do want to keep it short. Unfortunately, not short enough as I couldn't quite make it a one-shot.
> 
> From the prompt:  
> Set in season 1 where Emma saves Henry in the mines. But instead of Dr Hopper with Henry, it's Regina. She had been driving past the mines for some reason and she just happened to see Henry go into them. She stops the car suddenly, gets out and goes after him finding him at the entrance. He runs away from her, further into the mines yelling at her to stay away from him. She she runs after him, then there's a cave in, etc like canon. But when Emma comes down to save them, she decides to let Regina and Henry go up together first because she's doesn't want either of them getting hurt. But then the mine lift plummets with her still in it and it's up to the rescue team to try save her. SQ happy ending please.

Something was happening in this town, she could feel it. Ever since that Swan woman came and made time flow again, there’s been strange occurrences that have happened here and there. Her originally peaceful and quiet town has turned into quite a mess, all because that woman was here – and she refuses, _refuses_ to think about _fire_ and _passionate anger_ and _You don’t know what I’m capable of_.

She was on her way to the mines because the ~~dwarves~~ townsfolk mentioned that they could feel slight tremors coming from that area, and who was she to question the validity of their knowledge of mines and earthquakes – however dormant those dwarven senses may be. But before she could find a spot on the side of the road to park she saw a little boy go in, _her_ little boy in fact, and she haphazardly left her car to run after her son in a panic.

“Henry?!” She tried not to yell but she could hear the voice rebounding back off the cave walls going several octaves higher than usual. She didn’t receive a reply but she kept running in her five inch heels until she caught a glimpse of messy brown hair. “Henry.” She cried out in relief as she reached out for the boy. But Henry pulled out of her grasp easily and scowled at her.

“Go away! I’m going to find proof about the curse and then everyone will finally know that you’re the Evil Queen!” She felt her heart break a little each time he screamed that title at her but she refused to let that deter her.

“Henry, it’s not safe here. We have to get out.” She attempted to reach out again but Henry just backed away quickly.

“No! You just don’t want me to find it! You’re the one that keeps trying to make me think I’m crazy!” And then he ran off and she felt one of the tremors the town was talking about.

“Henry! Stop!” She had never felt so afraid in her life; she feared for her son, she feared he would get hurt, she didn’t care about herself at all. So she ran, ran until another tremor hit and she heard the entrance collapse behind her, ran until she rounded a corner and some rocks startled her backwards, ran until she violently twisted her ankle and the pain shot up her leg, hobbled until she saw her son huddled in a corner trying desperately to hold back his tears. “Oh Henry, sweetie, what happened?”

“I- I fell.” And for a moment it sounded like he forgot about the whole Evil Queen business, for a moment it sounded like her son loved her again and she knew that she shouldn’t be glad that her son got hurt, but she was grateful for it nonetheless. Another tremor, this time it felt more like a mild earthquake and more rocks tumbled down. “Mom, I’m scared.” If she was being perfectly honest with herself, she was a little afraid too. She could feel herself falling close to the edge of claustrophobia, could feel the phantom whispers of _cold and dark_ and _not a good little girl_ but she clings on to her sanity with desperation, if only so she could soothe her son from his fears even when she’s battling her own.

“I know sweetie, I’m here with you.”

 

* * *

 

 

“C’mon, what the hell’s taking them?”

“Patience, Emma.”

_Oh I’ll show you patience_ , she thought as she waited around for the construction team to position a bomb at the caved-in entrance.

“Are you sure this is such a good idea?” She asked nervously because weren’t explosions just another form of quakes? And isn’t that what caused this whole mess to begin with?

“Do you have a better idea?” Graham shoots back and she throws up her hands.

“No, but no idea is better than throwing bombs at rocks that may or may not be close to my son!” When Graham just gave her a disapproving look at her losing her calm she stomps away angrily hoping she was wrong about the bombs making things worse.

She’s right of course.

And the explosion just caused more rocks to fall and her losing way more calm.

“What are you _doing_?! You’re supposed to be making things better, not worse!” She irrationally yells at the construction workers. They simply shrug at her like none of this is their business and she practically growls at them all.

She’s pacing now, and she _never_ really paces; she’s always been more of a ‘do first, think later’ type of girl and she can’t stand that she’s helpless here. She might lose her son and her son’s mother at this point and there’s nothing she could do.

The sheriff is contemplating what to do with the workers and she angrily kicks at rocks until she notices Pongo sniffing around at a spot eagerly. Deciding to trust her instincts she runs up to the Dalmatian and when he sees her arriving he pointedly pokes his head at the ground and starts digging. “Guys, come here! I think Pongo found something!”

Three minutes later they find a grate and there’s some more yelling, “Emma?” She hears a meek response to her calling out and she practically screams at everyone to get the grate removed.

“Henry!” She yells down the hole trying to see past the dark, but all she sees is black and hints of what used to be an elevator shaft.

“I think Mom’s hurt!” _Regina_ , she thinks worriedly and she briefly wondered if Henry had cast aside his hate in the face of danger. Which really only proves to her that Henry really loves his mother but is currently just stuck in his _I’m adopted and Emma Swan is my real mother_ phase.

She learns that someone needed to go down and strap the harness on them so everyone can pull them up and she makes the decision to go. “He’s my son, so I should be the one to save him.” And nobody seemed to argue with that logic. Next thing she knew she’s being lowered down the shaft and there’s dirt and dust everywhere around her. She reaches the ground and Henry flings himself at her and she hugs back just as tightly.

“I think Mom hurt her ankle, she can’t walk.” She could hear the desperation in his voice and she’s suddenly flooded with worry.

“Okay, show me where she’s at.” When the mayor came into view she wasn’t the intimidating figure Emma was used to seeing. This woman was bruised and battered but still sitting stiffly with an air of defiance surrounding her. Like she’s trying to beat down the earthquake with sheer will alone. But she can see Regina’s battle with the dark - she’s faced those fears herself multiple times - and she’s curious more than anything about what made Regina the way she was.

“Miss Swan.” The woman sniffs at her and calmly says her name as if they were simply greeting each other in passing.

“Madame Mayor,” She continues on with the farce because it seemed to be only familiar thing keeping the brunette’s comfort level up, “you sure got yourself in a mess, huh.” She kneels down in front of the older woman and examines the swollen ankle. Regina’s still and quiet during her examination but hisses at the light contact to the bruised area. “Can you walk?” And she should’ve known that was not the best way to word her question because Regina probably heard the phrase mockingly.

The Mayor, in all her false bravado glory, attempts to stand only to topple over as soon as she put pressure on her foot. Emma catches her but she can sense the humiliation coming off the woman in waves.

There’s another earthquake and she vaguely hears some yelling in the far distance and the sound of more rocks falling and she makes the executive decision to pick the woman up into her arms and damn the consequences later. Regina yelps when she’s lifted off the ground but is too afraid to fight in case she’s jostled and falls right back down.

Regina’s looking at her like she’s a puzzle, wondering why Emma’s bothering to save her after everything that’s happened, probably wondering why Emma wasn’t leaving her to die and taking Henry for herself. In all honesty, Emma wasn’t too sure herself as to why she wanted Regina to live so much. She thinks it’s because she doesn’t really _feel_ like Henry’s mother, Regina does. And if Regina died, Emma just knows she’d screw up the kid somehow.

She somehow manages to carry the – although small – heavy brunette to the abandoned elevator shaft and she sets Regina down as carefully as possible. She straps Henry into the harness, pushing and pulling to make sure it’s secure, then she turns around and sees Regina standing on her good foot, leaning most of her weight against the wall. She’s giving Emma this look that says _You’re leaving me aren’t you?_ and Emma just shakes her head to answer the unspoken question and steps towards her. Now Regina’s just staring at her like she’s an enigma as she lifts her carefully so that the woman is closer to the other harness and straps her in as well.

It’s a little awkward, and slightly intimate and Emma’s standing closer than she needs to be when she’s checking if everything’s sturdy. Regina has hardly said a word and just keeps staring at her and she pointedly shifts her eyes away so that they don’t catch. Without stepping back she tugs on the brunette’s cord to signal the others to pull them up and there’s a yell above them and they can all hear the mechanical whirring of the pulley.

“Wait, Emma, what about you?”

She smiles and ruffles her son’s already messy brown mop, “I’ll follow you right up afterwards, kid.” And that seemed to have mollified him, but there’s another quake and more rocks tumble down in a frightening thud and Regina grasps tightly on her arm.

She finally looks up and locks eyes with enchanting brown and they speak so little but say so much.

At this point she’s thinking she might not make it. But she’s feeling more resigned than anything else. She thinks as long as her son’s safe, and especially safe in the hands of his mother, she wouldn’t have to fight. She thinks about Fate and Destiny and about how maybe she was here to save these two. Maybe that was why she was here, what her purpose in life was.

“You’re a good mom, Regina.” She whispers into the other woman’s ear “Take care of Henry, but try not to hold on too tightly.” and the cord is finally pulled taut and both mother and son are lifted off the ground before the brunette could react and say something back. Regina holds onto Henry so that they don’t start swinging and bumping into each other as they ascend out of instinct, but Regina’s also holding onto her arm still and she just smiles and brings a hand over the brunette’s and plucks off each manicured finger gently.

It was at that moment she realized that she cared for Regina. She didn’t know when, but at some point their fights have lit a passion – something that breathed life into her - that she’s never really had before. She wants a life with her son, but she also thinks she needs a life with the woman before her.

Regina and Henry are safely pulled out and she sighs out in relief. She hears a woman’s voice angrily demanding and yelling at the others to unstrap her and let down the harness and she can’t quite keep the smile off her face.

The ground trembles however, and this was an earthquake that far surpassed the others. The previous ones like warning shots. She hears before she sees the rocks crumbling around her and she manages to catch Regina’s wide eyes. There’s an inexplicable torrent of emotions swirling in those expressive brown eyes and she’s not quite sure what sort of emotions she was trying to convey herself. All she knew was that she wanted to tell her _something_ , but lacked the words to do so.

_Bye_ , she mouths and shrugs awkwardly like they were meeting again for the first time and the earth just caves in around her blocking her view from the woman, blocking the sounds of screams coming from her son and blocked that one call of her name from the mother of her son.


End file.
